Huntsville High first in line of high schools to host parents' workshops on digital initiative

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Parents whose children are zoned for Huntsville High School and its feeder schools can get some help with the new student laptops during a technology workshop Tuesday night at the school.

The workshop is one of a series of meetings being held through the end of September and into October. It begins at 6:30 p.m., according to Keith Ward, a spokesman for the school district.

"We started these last week," Ward said. "There are really two components to it, first to show a bit about what the curriculum and resources are like.

"They're also to help with problems the parents might have," Ward said.

A team of technicians, including district staff and representatives from curriculum and digital textbook supplier Pearson Education and Teklinks, the IT company hosting the district's email server, will be on hand at each meeting.

"If you've got a laptop issue, if you've got an Internet issue, if you've got a textbook issue, someone will be there to help you," Ward said.

Parents, teachers and students have voiced complaints about the district's 1:1 Learning Initiative, which includes laptops and iPads for all students and digital textbooks and curriculum.

The complaints have included problems with the laptops and their batteries, spotty Internet access in the schools, inaccessible textbooks and curriculum programs that kick students offline.

One parent has also complained that his teenage son was able to access pornography on his district-issued laptop.

The first two meetings, held at Hampton Cove and Highlands elementary schools, had scant attendance, Ward said. The district hopes holding the meetings at the high schools will bring in more people.

"We thought it would be more productive to pick the high schools and have the feeder schools come in there," Ward said.

Additional workshops will be held on Wednesday at Grissom High, on Sept. 24 at Columbia High, on Sept. 25 at Lee/New Century, on Sept. 26 at Butler High and on Oct. 3 at Johnson High.